


latte art

by lhknox



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Fluff, Humor, coffee shop AU, latte art
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-07 15:15:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11626242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lhknox/pseuds/lhknox
Summary: "Alex feels her heart sink when she sees the girl’s name - Maggie - with two underlines; it’s the code for a potential target.And Alex refuses to back down from a Challenge."a ridiculous little coffee shop au





	latte art

**Author's Note:**

> a small silly fic inspired by the tags on a post from [C-and-B](http://c--and--b.tumblr.com/)
> 
> unbetad but ur welcome

Alex Danvers is a simple person, she likes her coffee hot and the crusts cut off her sandwiches. She likes listening to the rain hitting the window and being better than her sister at Scrabble. She likes essays more than she likes novels, and she’d rather be punched in the face than ever eat black licorice. She likes writing essays in the school library, but she does all her course reading on the outside benches in the quad.

 

And when days at the cafe got too slow, Alex likes doing secret latte arts in the takeaway orders, a small reprieve of creativity and fun during an otherwise boring day.

 

It had started as a joke between her and her shift buddy, Lucy, to see who was the better latte artist. Before they knew it, it was cafe wide, with all the baristas trying out their skills and coming up with different designs. Lucy, as it turns out, was terrible. LIke, superbad. She was, however, really good at coming up with good ideas for the art. Alex had since graduated from basic flowers to mastering lions and bears and even a giraffe.

 

Lucy was the root cause of It.

 

It was a joke, like most things in their friendship, but Alex couldn’t back down from a challenge. And so, the game changed.

 

And it made Alex’s days behind the counter just that little bit better. Lucy would pick the targets because she could garner who wouldn’t take the lids off their cups, a strange and useless talent, and yet a talent nonetheless. Once Lucy had chosen, Alex would execute.

 

It was foolproof and fun.

 

Until it wasn’t.

 

It’s been a long day and Alex is almost at the end of her shift, her back aching and her feet begging her to sit down. None of the customers that afternoon have passed Lucy’s certification, so Alex is itching to do It to someone soon, before she leaves for the library and the huge research project waiting for her.

 

“Almost out of time for today,” Lucy says as she slumps on the counter.

 

“Such a shame,” Alex replies, “I’ve been practicing and everything.”

 

“It’s ironic, you know.”

 

“What is?”

 

“You being a giant lesbian and still the best at The Challenge.”

 

“Well lesbians do tend to be better than men in some fields,” Alex says with faux-seriousness in her voice.

 

“She’s right,” James calls from the back of the shop, and Alex winks at him.

 

“She’s right,” agrees Doctor Grant, one of their regular customers - and Alex’s philosophy lecturer - from her usual table. She doesn’t even look up, just gives her two cents worth as she scrolls through her iPad.

 

“You have experience, Doc?” Lucy asks, and Alex smacks her arm.

 

“Lucy, that’s inappropriate,” she admonishes, before turning to Doctor Grant. “I’m so sorry, Doctor.”

 

“It’s quite alright, Danvers. And to answer your friend’s question, I am speaking from experience though the details are confidential due to her high level of celebrity.”

 

“Oh my god,” Lucy whispers at the same time Alex whispers, “Why”. Dr. Grant gathers her things and stands up as she pulls a note from her wallet. She slips it into the tip jar on her way past.

 

“A pleasure as always, ladies.”

 

Lucy and James burst into laughter as soon a the door shuts behind Dr. Grant and Alex shakes her head in disbelief.

 

“Did that just happen?” she says as she bends down behind the counter to organise some of the mess that Hurricane Lucy tends to leave in her wake.

 

She hears the door jingle as it opens, and she hears Lucy take someone’s order.

 

And then she stands.

 

And she makes eye contact with the prettiest girl she’s ever seen, a smile brighter than the sun, dark long hair, and brown eyes that Alex already feels herself getting lost in.

 

“Order up, Danvers,” Lucy says with a smirk as she hands Alex the disposable cup, shaking her from the gay trance she’s in. Alex feels her heart sink when she sees the girl’s name - Maggie - with two underlines; it’s the code for a potential target.

 

And Alex refuses to back down from a Challenge.

 

She makes the coffee slowly, taking her time with the milk steamer, and even more time pouring the foamy milk into the espresso shot.

 

It’s a coffee art masterpiece, if she does say so herself.

 

Alex carefully puts the lid on top, and hands it over.

 

“Enjoy your coffee, Maggie,” Alex says with a small smile.

 

“Thanks….?”

 

“Alex,” Lucy supplies, popping up by her side, and Alex pushes her away.

 

“I’m Alex,” she says, “Danvers.”

 

“Well, Alex Danvers, thank you for the coffee.”

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

Alex is elated, she’s semi-flirted with a cute girl and she completed what she thinks might be the best Challenge ever --

 

Then Maggie heads for the extras table.

 

And Alex wants to die, because she knows what’s about to happen, and she watches it happen in slow motion.

 

Maggie sets her cup down, and takes off the lid.

 

She pauses, and stares at the foam.

 

Time stops.

 

Alex is frozen, Lucy is frozen, James is frozen.

 

Maggie continues to stare at her coffee.

 

Eventually, she reaches for a sugar sachet, and empties it into her drink, slowly stirring it and putting the lid back on.

 

She heads for the door.

 

Alex gets ready to stop holding her breath.

 

Only, Maggie turns back around, and marches straight to the counter.

 

“Hey, Alex?” she asks, and Alex feels her face burn red as she tries her best to ignore Lucy’s fits of laughter coming from beside her.

 

“Yes, Maggie?”

 

“Was that a dick in my foam?”

 

“... yes.”

 

“You drew a penis on the top of my coffee."

 

"... yes."

 

"As like -”

 

“As latte art,” Alex says. “I’m really sorry, it’s a stupid joke we do sometimes, and --”

 

“And you didn’t even put your number on the side of the cup?”

 

“Number?”

 

“Well I’m not saying it happens often, but usually when a girl draws genitalia in my latte art, I need to take her on a date.”

 

“A date.”

 

“Are you just gonna repeat everything I say?” Maggie says with a small laugh, and Alex thinks she could listen to that sound forever.

 

“N-no, I’d love to go on a date. With you. A-a date with you.”

 

Lucy rolls her eyes at Alex’s stammering, and scribbles down Alex’s number, handing it to Maggie.

 

“She usually works tomorrow night but her best friend is willing to cover her shift if she has a date,” Lucy tells her.

 

“Sounds good,” Maggie says, taking the number. “Could you let Alex know I’ll text her later so we can arrange something?”

 

“Yeah, I’ll tell her once she stops freaking out.”

 

“I’m not freaking out!” Alex says, her voice oddly high. She clears it with a frown. “I’m not freaking out.”

 

“In that case,” Maggie says, “I’ll text you later.”

 

“Sounds good. See you later, Maggie.”

 

“See you round, Danvers.”

 

And just like that she’s gone and Alex can breathe and Lucy’s laughing again.

 

“You’re welcome,” she says.

 

“For?”

 

“She’s a regular, and I know she takes sugar. And I know you would be too much of a pussy to ask her out on a date.”

 

Alex gasps, scandalised.

 

“Lucy Lane! You bitch!”

 

“Like I said, you’re welcome.”

 

Alex can’t even pretend to be mad, too excited for her date and still so proud of her latte art.

 

She knew all those foam dicks would pay off eventually.

 

**Author's Note:**

> catch me on [murdershegoat](http://murdershegoat.tumblr.com/)


End file.
